Vamp for shoes



G. E. MUS'EBECK.

VAMP F OR SHOES. APPLICATION FILED 1UNE4, 1919.

1,333,213. Patented M21119, 1920.

FIG. 1.

WITNESSES of mz UNITED ST E PATENT oration;

GEORGE nflivrusnnnomlor MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, nssrcnon or ONE-FOURTH T ononcn E. MUSEBEGK, onn-ronn'rrr T0 3101mm) JENNINGS, oNn-roUnm-r TO CHABLES'W. .iCONAWAY, ANDWONE-LFOUR'IHJTO -WALTER A. WADSWORTH," am, or

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

To Jail whom: may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGEE. MUsnBEoK,

a citizen of the United States, andresident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and 'Stateof Wisconsin, have invented new and useful". Improvements finjVamps for Shoes of which the following is description, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings', which are a part of this specification.

Heretofore in the manufacture of shoes the vamp has been given its form by stretching it over alast and then tackihg'it to the bottom of the last. By thusi stretching the vamp to form over the last, which is done either by hand or by the so-called niggerhead machine, it frequently happensv that the vamp is torn where the throat portion joins the wings, which results in the loss of both labor and material. This stretching operation also throws the vamp out of shape generally. and .due to the unequal texture inherent in theleather frequently produces 0b-- Qjectionable creases detracting from the appearance of the shoe anduncomfortable to the wearer. Furthermore, in the Vamps as heretofore made, much leather is wasted in the stretching and trimming of the vamp. To overcome these difiicultiesl have provided a vamp blank in which the throat por tion thereof is set to substantially conform to the shape of the last prior to placing the vamp blank upon the. last. A vamp blank of this character preserves its shape and avoids the use of excessive force to stretch it to shape over the last and thus prevents splitting, tearing or weakening of the vamp where the throat portion joins the wings, and also enables the use of anarrow pattern, with a saving of leather. It has the further advantage of preventing distortion of the tip line of the vamp where separate tips are used, though it is to be understood that the invention isapplicable to Vamps, having the preferably under the application of heat,

full tip. The setting of the throat portion to conform with the last is accomplished by molding the throat portion of the vamp,

prior to placing it on the last. This initial preformed'condition of the vamp blank obviates the use of great force generally employed to draw the vamp down to the wood when it is placed on the. last.

. wspeoificationof LettersPatent.

. yarn? ronfsrronsl clusion'hereof 1 g In the dI'fiWlIlgSQFlglllQ l is a v ew of PatentedMaL9, 1920. Application'fi led June 4, 1919. Serial No. 301,605. f

thevamp blank ;"Fig. 2, is a-perspective view of thecompleted vamp blank; Fig. 3 a

sectional view through the completed vamp blank. I H

Thef vamp blank shown; in the drawingsis one to whicha separate tip is to be attt'ached but it is to -be understoodfthat the tip" 1 W be made integral with the rest of the vamp blank Where desired. The vamp blank {l is w cut out of a single piece of leather to providea front portion 5, wings 6, and athroat portion 7, which is that part between the full line 8 andthe dotted line't), said throat portion meeting the wings at 10. Where the vamp is used forhigh shoes prick punch marks 12 are made in the blanks as usual prior to its being incorporated in the shoe and serve as a guide to the operator in stitching the upper to the vamp. Heretofore Vamps havev been made by cutting out a vamp blank similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and giving this vamp blank its form by stretching it over a last and tacking it down operation is either done by hand or by a soto the bottom of the last. This stretching I called nigger-head machine, and frequently results in the splittingy tearing or weakening of the vamp at the points 10. By the present invention tion 7 of the finished vamp in Figs. 2 and 3, is formed prior to disposal on the last by molding this throat portion to substantially conform to the shape of the the throat por blank 11, shown last, the molding ope-ration being confined l or localized to the throat portion so that 'the'win'gs will not be stretched out of proper form and so that the indicating marks, if used, will not be displaced. This molding operation may be carried out in various ways, one way being to mold the throat por tion into shape between twoproperly shaped dies, accompaniedby heating of the throat portion so asto set it to the desired shape. A blank of this characterpreserves its shape and avoids the use of excessive force many times necessary to shape the vamp over the last and thus prevents any splitting, tearing or weakening of the vamp, maintains the indicating marks in proper position. and allows the use of'a narrower pattern with a saving of leather.

I am aware that vamp blanks have been previously subjected to, a ,so-called creasing process by a machine Which draws the vamp;

i down between two pressing members, the

drawing'member engaging the vamp at the central portion thereof, but such a process creates a stretchingof the vamp throughout its entire central portion. This stretching I or creasing of the vamp results in several disadvantages: ;First, the stretching'of the vamp throws the wings ofithe vamp out of line with the original pattern so that the wings have to be trimmed down prior vto placing the vamp on the lastQwh-ich, of

course, involves expense of "labor and loss of material; second, {due to the fact that the stretching operation is not only producedat the throat of the vampbnt also through the en i e entral portion thereoi, the p l of the vamp, where additional tips are used,

is d ort d whi h produces di fi l i in attaching the'tip to Ethevalnp and alsoneces, itates trimming; thirdithi's creasing opera- 7 t o does no B Parethe vam snk o substantially fit the last and thereal forming is done upon the last; and is therefore open-to the objections previously setforth; and, lastly, the stretching of. the vamp throws out the proper location of :the'prick punch marks so that =the-uppersi are: not

properly stitchedinrplacewhere the vamps 'arensed on high shoes,

It is to be understood that thisinvention' JS-ZIlOt fli-mited to any specificform or Zarv rangeinentoi parts, except inso far as said liniitations 'are specified in the claims.

What I' claim as new and desire to secure by Let Patent is: i a 9 l. A vamp blank expanded solely in; the throat portionl t I v V A vamp blan xpended o ely it e throat portion to substantially last conforming shape lpriorto its being plaCc'fl on the 

